90 Percent Of Global Chemical Weapons Stockpile ‘Destroyed’

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) says 90 percent of the world’s chemical armaments stockpile has been destroyed.

OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu announced the milestone on May 28, saying it "shows we are well on the way to ridding the world of chemical weapons."

The Hague-based organization says some 63,000 tons of declared chemical weapons, mostly from U.S. and Russian arsenals, have been destroyed "in a safe manner" since a global ban on producing and storing chemical weapons came into force in 1997.

This includes 1,300 tons of chemical weapons removed from Syria.

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning chemical weapons watchdog says the destruction of both Russian and U.S. stockpiles are scheduled to be completed by 2020 and 2023, respectively.